Compared to some other teams, the Dallas Cowboys have not been overly active when it comes to NFL free agency. But compared to recent offseasons, the Cowboys’ activity in March was abnormal.
The Cowboys’ six additions puts them near the middle of the pack, with five teams having more agreements so far in free agency. The Washington Redskins, as of Wednesday, led the NFL with 13.china nike nfl jerseys cheap
Since free agency began with the legal tampering period on March 16, the Cowboys have added five unrestricted free agents: defensive lineman Gerald McCoy, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, cornerback Maurice Canady, tight end Blake Bell and place-kicker Greg Zuerlein. The sixth and seventh additions, defensive tackle Dontari Poe and defensive end Aldon Smith, were technically street free agents, since the Carolina Panthers did not pick up Poe’s 2020 option and Smith has not played since 2015.
The previous time the Cowboys added this many unrestricted free agents in an offseason came in 2017, and there are plenty of contracts and failed seasons to look back on from that year and more to know that Dallas needs better luck in 2020.
The 2017 offseason is when tackle Byron Bell, safety Robert Blanton, cornerback Nolan Carroll, defensive end Damontre Moore and defensive tackle Stephen Paea joined the Cowboys. Carroll was the prize signing of that 2017 class, getting a three-year, $10 million deal that included $4 million guaranteed.
And Carroll was cut after two regular-season games.
Before McCoy agreed to his three-year, $18 million deal with the Cowboys on March 17, Carroll was the most recent unrestricted free agent to sign a multiyear deal with Dallas.
Byron Bell, Blanton, Moore, Paea, wide receiver Deonte Thompson, offensive lineman Marcus Martin, tackle Cameron Fleming, defensive end Kony Ealy, wide receiver Randall Cobb, defensive tackle Christian Covington and safety George Iloka came to the Cowboys since Carroll on one-year deals.cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale
By far, Cobb (55 receptions, 828 yards, three touchdowns) was the most productive of the Cowboys’ recent signings.
Blanton, Martin, Ealy and Iloka did not play in a regular-season game because of injury or ineffectiveness. Fleming started three games in 2018, was re-signed in 2019 and started three more. Byron Bell started two games after the Chaz Green disaster of 2017. Thompson was supposed to be part of the wide-receiver-by-committee corps the Cowboys implemented, but he caught 14 passes for 124 yards before he was cut during the season. Paea could not overcome a history of knee issues, and Martin suffered a season-ending toe injury in the preseason.